In The Moment

I walked into class, my dog to the end of their six foot leash; tail wagging like crazy and barking. I felt the room closing in around me as if every person was staring at me. As I look around the room, I felt alone; the other handlers seem to have the skills that I don’t. I can now feel my heart beating harder. I get flustered to grab my treats, that I now realize have no value to my dog. Why am I here, why did I come, we aren’t ready for this, we aren’t as good as these other dogs. The more I get frustrated it seems the worse my dog gets. I want out.

Or perhaps, I’ve just entered my private lesson, my dog is barking and lunging at my instructor. The thoughts are racing through my mind – we can’t do this. He/she will never get over this. What will they think of us. We are mess.

Yep, we are a mess… we are all a little bit of a mess, but that’s why we are here, because we ALL are little bit of a mess working to be a little better each day today, for our tomorrow. Not to compare ourselves to the team next us, because you know what? They came in thinking the exact same thing as you. It’s time to break out of the stigma that we must be perfect and break into the stigma that we are simply working each day to be better together. When we begin to let go of what we HAVE to be tomorrow, 6 months from now, a year from now, and begin to work together for the moment right now something amazing happens. We see the dog in front of us. When we let go of back stories, sad stories that have no factual evidence; we are able to accept, train, work, and HAVE fun with the dog in front of us together rather than trying to create the dog we want to have or the dog that came to us.

Let me break it down further – imagine the day your baby is born, or relative, on this day we determine their entire future. My sweet child you will grow up to be doctor that lives in a 2 story colonial with a white picket fence married with X kids, blah blah blah – WOW how exhausting to just think about it let alone the PRESSURE to put on a day old child. Then imagine as this child grows up at every moment, every milestone the pressure to excel and fulfill YOUR vision. That’s a recipe for disaster if I’ve ever saw one. Talk about a toxic relationship. Now let’s revisit our four legged companions – you know the ones that don’t live a lifetime with us. We are GUILTY of doing this, I am going to get this dog for this reason at 10 weeks old…and if at 6 months they can’t do it all then I am FRUSTRATED -----fast forward to the beginning of this blog. Enter the training environment – the focus on what my dog HAS to be rather than what my dog IS.

So what is this all about? Honoring your dog, taking in the moments, coming to environments and being understanding, being patient, putting in the time for the moments you have not the what-ifs and could bes. Seeing the dog in front of you. When that overexcited dog enters the room or lesson or whatever it may be – have value to you, to your goodies, to your intentions, and MAKE IT FUN.

Be accepting of others surrounding you and hell, we all have to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to work better together. If we never work through it in the moments and let go

of what we think has to be, then we get stuck in this vicious circle of living up to a higher standard than what is right in front of us. Our dog will work just as hard as our motivation and mind set. Give up and frustration energy will always lead to a dog that feeds into negative behavior. Present motivation and

coaching energy will always lead to a dog that wants more for each moment. When you move yourself forward with such energy and intentions, just watch the magic happen. Our dogs have so much to teach us about who they are as an individual; about how they want to grow, process, learn, their intentions in our lives. We just have to be present enough to listen.

Written by Lora Bacharach